MOSCOW, July 28. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed the current Governor of the Kaliningrad Region, Nikolai Tsukanov to the post of Presidential Envoy to the North-Western Federal District, the Kremlin press service said on Thursday.

Earlier on Thursday Putin dismissed Vladimir Bulavin from the position of Presidential Envoy in the North-Western Federal District.

Yevgeny Zinichev who earlier served as head of the regional FSB department was appointed acting Governor of the Kaliningrad region.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev appointed former Kaliningrad Governor Bulavin to head the Federal Customs Service.

Former Customs Chief, Andrei Belyaninov stepped down earlier on Thursday following an investigation into an alcohol smuggling case in which Belyaninov is serving as a witness. Media reports said that investigators uncovered about 10 million rubles, $400,000 and 300,000 euros in cash during a search of his home.

Putin also accepted the resignation of Sergei Yastrebov, Governor of the Yaroslavl Region, and appointed Dmitry Mironov who earlier had served as Deputy Interior Minister, to the post of acting Governor.

Elections for the Kaliningrad and Yaroslavl governorships will take place in 2017, the Central Election Commission told TASS.

Meanwhile, Sevastopol governor Sergei Menyailo was appointed Presidential Envoy to the Siberian Federal District to replace Nikolai Rogozhkin dismissed by Putin’s decree, the Kremlin said.

When asked by TASS to comment on the new appointment, Menyailo said he got the news from the TASS correspondent.

Finally, Dmitry Ovsyannikov, the ex-Deputy Minister of Russian Industry and Commerce will become acting Sevastopol Governor before the elections.